Not By Choice
by Dragon Dagger
Summary: 5 years after the bloody tower incident life has settled down in England again. For one young woman, its about to turn upside down again.


She was twenty years old. Just gotten out on her own and into her own flat when her attacker struck from out of nowhere late one evening while she was returning from market. She had been a bit of a head turner at the university, dark auburn hair with an unusual off centered gray stripe running back along the length from her forehead. Most of the students thought she dyed her hair. The simple truth was that in her family, women silvered early in life, usually streaking in their late teens and finishing out by the time they were in their mid-thirties.

But that wasn't the only head turning feature about her. She was fit, in a way that suggested that working out was not a priority, but somehow it did get done, and her eyes behind a pair of small spectacles were the color of the seas just after the winter storms had passed. All in all it put together a look that was most unusual on the campus.

However she was studious in her chosen field and had graduated with honors, even though her professors were uncertain where she planned on going with a degree in mythological history, majoring in the literary side of it while minoring in the archeological side of the degree. She was a quiet student, keeping to herself and often times slipping in and out of classes much like the wraiths she had studied for a short period of time.

She didn't tell them, because she knew that she would not be believed if she told them, the reason behind her course work was to arm herself for a coming battle that Britannia was not prepared for, and a century of preparation could still bring them no closer than they were today. The demons and creatures that mankind had thrown into the abyss once were rising again and the world, not just her beloved home, was beyond ill-prepared for the coming onslaught.

When she awoke the next night she was horrified at what she now discovered about herself. Her attacker had been no ordinary mugger. For she had been bitten and turned into one of the very things she had been trying to prepare to fight. A Vampire.

It was several nights before she noticed it, the slight buzzing in the back of her mind, but when she did finally take note of other things about her beyond the need to control the overwhelming desire to go out and feed on the humans she once walked amongst. She found that it wasn't just a buzz, but almost like a line of communication. If she focused hard enough on it she could sort out different voices, and different bits of information that were apparently feeding back and forth across this link in her mind.

Some bits were constant, like the drive to feed that flowed through all vampires, chipped or otherwise. And it was clear that there were a great many new fledged that could not help but broadcast that urge to everyone else they knew. It was distracting and highly irritating for the young woman who was by now near frenzy state from trying to keep herself in check for days now.

Other bits of information were sporadic, yet helpful in their own way. Even if it meant that she would have to accept that one part of who she was now, she knew that eventually she would be able to piece the information together and possibly find some help for what she was now. With the acceptance of the mind link came other mental abilities. Ones that intrigued her and to some degree scared her. Telepathy and telekinesis were not unheard of in the vampire community. That she would develop these abilities surprised her, but it also made accessing the mental connection she had with the rest of the chipped vampires that much easier.

She thought she was a standard vampire. Cursed forever to walk the night, and forbidden to touch silver or holy relics. She did not know about the chipped FREAKS that wandered the night. But she now knew of the Hellsing Organization and its mission. The network nearly shorted her out from the traffic that surged over it on the fifth anniversary of the infamous Tower of London attack. She now had all the information she wanted and needed. Names, places, both of the Hellsing Organization, and the group of vampires that made her mugger, and consequently her.

From there she needed to find a way onto the Hellsing Compound. This in and of itself would not be easy considering her frenzy was increasingly apparent and she knew that she would have to some how control it in order to talk to whomever she had to to get this information across, and then to ask for her life back in whatever form it might take.

The night she decided to go was the very next night. As she was she knew that this would be highly suspicious, but she hoped that she would be allowed to speak to Sir Hellsing before she had to reveal what she had become. Late in the evening, at dusk, she showed herself at the gates to the Hellsing Estate. Dressed in knee length boots that were mostly covered by the calf length black broomstick skirt she was wearing, this was all topped by a navy blue spaghetti strapped top covered by a black full sleeve leather shrug. Her necklace was a leather cord that held a small steel dragon. All she had done to her hair was brush it out and pull the sides back and leave the rest loose.

Walking slowly watching her foot placement carefully she moved towards the guards who had immediately come to an alert state by her arrival. She was still wearing her spectacles even though she no longer needed them. Habit had won out on that point and she knew that to appear in anything less than her best would be an insult to the lord of the house and a good point to kill her on sight instead of listening.

Instead of looking up at the guards she continued to look down at their feet as she made her request. "I need to speak to Sir Hellsing, its critically important that I do so tonight." She could not open her mouth all the way to speak loudly so she settled for speaking softly and with good diction so that she would be understood without having to show the obvious signs of what she was.

"Miss, unless you have an appointment to speak with Sir Hellsing, I'm afraid I can't let you enter the grounds." The guard was pleasant, but firm in his denial. It was as he took a good look at her that he noticed that she was starting to shake a little. "Miss, are you all right?"

Nicole Von Wildern was shaking, not with suppressed emotion, but hunger. She knew that she could NOT eat these men. They were soldiers just as much as she was a scholar. She would have no chance if the information she had collected on this group was even remotely accurate. Instead she wrapped her arms around herself and keeping her head bowed she shook her head. "I'm not all right. I need to see Sir Hellsing/now/." She all but hissed the last word out in her effort to maintain her control over the frenzy that was threatening to take her over with a source of fresh blood so close to her.

Inside the house Alucard was surprised to be awakened by the mental call of his protégé. 'Master, there is someone at the gate.'

'Then let the house guards take care of them. Or was there another reason you felt the need to waken me from my rest police girl?' He had felt the information was being held in the other mind, but he also could tell that its meaning puzzled the younger vampire.

'It's a FREAK Master. But she is not attacking the guards; instead she seems to be in pain and demanding to see Sir Integra.' The matter of the confusion became clearer to the master vampire as she explained the situation. Apparently there was something different about this FREAK, different enough to warrant the police girl's attention and bring it to his.

'I will look in to this. For now, make sure that our Master is safe and aware of the situation.' He knew that the dusk hours would provide him with no problems and with the police girl near Integra he would be able to ensure her safety if this was indeed a trap.

The silence along their bond was his only answer, and he smiled. Her training by Hellsing had taken effect and now it was time for him to see just what was going on with this FREAK at the gates.

Phasing into the area from the shadows Alucard took the time to look at the situation and noted that while the girl was indeed looking to be in pain, she was speaking emphatically and holding herself at a distance from the guards. Quickly his mind worked to the solution that surprised him for the second time that night. This FREAK was suffering from Bloodlust and was doing everything in her power to keep from outright attacking the guards in front of her for the nourishment her body was screaming for.

"Interesting." He muttered to himself before walking up to the guards, knowing that from the upper windows of the Hellsing Estate he was being watched by two sets of eyes. "Is there a problem?" He asked, his voice rumbling from nowhere and causing all parties involved to look up startled.

It was then that the guards got a good look at the woman that was trying to gain access to the grounds and see the identifying marks of the kind they hunted. Pulling their guns they held them steady waiting for the command to shoot or to back up Alucard since he had arrived, relieving them of the need to call a senior officer to the situation.

Nicole's jaw dropped as she quickly catalogued the identifying marks of one of her kind and then the marks of the one that the buzz in the back of her mind had identified as Alucard, the Hellsing pet vampire. Trained to kill others like him, she wondered if she would even see another few moments now that he was here. Her shock nearly allowed her bloodlust to take over, but with a savagery that was a common misconception of the vampire community she beat it back to a barely controllable rage. But every second she went without blood burned her. She ached and standing was beyond a chore. She was weak. Tired. She knew that she had to see these people and tell them what she knew. Only then could she ask for what she so desperately wanted. Only then could she ask for release.

Unfortunately the latest mental battle with the bloodlust had taken its toll on her and without warning she fell into the sleep of a vampire denied blood too long. The only thing that would waken her now would be the presence of blood being given to her. Alucard moved with the speed he was known for and caught the girl. "She will not be a threat. Have Walter, and Sir Integra meet me in the underground cells."

Uneasy at so casual a judgment of this girl, the men at the gates still holstered their side arms and called the request into the house while Alucard shadow stepped back to his quarters, then down one more to unused quarters.

This girl was indeed different from the rest of the freaks he had seen. For she displayed more of the true vampiric traits than any of the other chipped vampires he had fought yet. Her strength of will was astounding though, for a newly made vampire to go so long without blood that they frenzy indicated great strength of will, and possibly something else. Something that would make her an excellent vampire, if she wasn't a chipped FREAK.

The open door to the chambers was the indicator to both Integra and Walter of where Alucard had taken the young woman. Though it was hardly necessary to do since they had also brought his protégé along with them. Stepping into the room Integra had already put the information she had been given together and figured out that the girl had been going through frenzy and was now in stasis. "Walter, bring in two pints of blood slightly warm. We need to wake her up from stasis and see what it is that she wants that is so important to her."

Alucard smiled internally as he kept his thoughts of his master's remedies to this particular vampiric malady to himself. He too had suffered it at one point but had willingly fed and succumbed to the stasis. Making it far easier for just the smell of a fresh source of blood to waken him. Both he and Integra knew that it would take an infusion into this girl to waken her now that she had pushed her new body past the limits it could tolerate without blood in its young state.

With Alucard helping it was not hard to get the blood down the young FREAK's throat, and it was minutes after the second packet had been emptied that she began to stir from the blood deprived sleep. As she came around her eyes blinked open and the sight of the four people in front of her made her startle badly. Looking around quickly she noted that two of the people were vampires, one being Alucard, the second had to be the young protégé that the mind link whispered about the night before when stories were exchanged about the night of the bloody tower's revival. An older gentleman stood to the right and behind a young woman who could not have been much older than herself, yet carried an air of someone who carried a great deal of authority and knew exactly how to wield it to get what she wanted. This, had to be the famed Sir Integra Hellsing.

Her eyes were still wide and taking in the room around her, partly in fear, partly in curiosity. But when she had locked gazes with the Hellsing commander in chief she remembered what she came to do. Her mind cleared of the fog that had been hovering since she came out of her sleep and she bowed her head, shaking once more. This time in true fear.

The actions of this FREAK were now confusing Integra. As they were confusing Walter and Ceras, never before had they seen anything but the most overt and unbearable confidence from a Chipped vampire. Integra took control quickly and spoke. "My men have told me that you wished to speak with me. Tell me FREAK, why should I listen to anything you would have to say?"

Confusion entered Nicole's eyes. There was something about the way the word freak was emphasized that made it more than an insult. She wouldn't dare to presume to use her newfound telepathic abilities on this human, not with two vampires here guarding their mistress. But she badly wanted to know what this new word meant, for it obviously meant something different than vampire, yet it was applied to her. She had but one chance to catch their interest. She had to word this right or forever lose her chance to tell them what she knew, and unburden herself before she lost whatever little existence she had left.

"Because what I am, was not my choice."

Those hard, yet quietly spoken words had caused an immediate reaction in the room. Bound as she was to the exam table she could see them due to its upright position and knew that she had struck a nerve in the vampires, and had caught the attention of the humans. For Ceras sucked in a slight gasp of air, realizing what that phrase meant, and as she glanced over at her master, she saw that with his eyes narrowed in anger he too knew that there was much more to this situation than was meeting the well trained eyes of Hellsing's best.

"Go on." The phrase was not unkind and the restraints were loosened, but not completely removed.

"The only thing I ask in return for the information I'm about to give you is this. When I am done and you are done questioning me, kill me. I have no wish to live as I am now." Alucard raised an eyebrow at this. A vampire that did not want to live? Was this even conceivable? Quite possibly since the girl had not been given the choice about her unlife.

'Master, I wish to speak with you after we are done questioning her.' He whispered darkly to Integra, noting as he did that she had not stiffened as she usually did at the mental intrusion.

'Fine, but for now I will agree to her terms, for they are not unreasonable considering they are consistent with our given duties.' Integra had an inkling that this vampire, chipped or otherwise had caught the interest of her pet, but she would not acknowledge that until after this was done.

The night was still very young and so the question and answer session began right away. Walter acting as recorder through the whole thing as a veritable torrent of information poured from the woman. Once she wound down from her story of who she was and how she came to be on these grounds, she started into the information she had tucked away in her mind about the chips that were so frequently mentioned, but not understood by the one that was speaking about them. After that came the information on the group that had created her "master" as it was. Though it was clear to everyone there that she owed no allegiance to anyone but herself at the moment.

It was when she stopped talking; something that took the better part of two hours, the questions began. They were harsh, but not unduly so. Made to clarify the information she had given. While this was going on Alucard was making his own investigation into the young woman's mind. Something he found quite entertaining as he found that young as she was, she had already discovered and had started to work with her mental capabilities and had rebuffed him the moment she felt him poking around in her mind.

Equally entertaining to the master vampire was the fact that the girl could keep up her conversation with Walter and Integra without faltering and still deliver what amounted to a hefty mental slap for his continued intrusion into her mind. 'Leave me alone!' She hissed at him mentally the only sign of her mental agitation being the slight narrowing of her eyes at Alucard.

'You are interesting, so I had to come and look.' He countered, his own smirk upgrading to Class A Jerk as he noted that her attention had split, but was still cognizant of both conversations.

A mental sigh was all that came back for a reply but Alucard knew that he could bother her no more as she had immediately solved the problem of him getting into her mind by working out how to shield against basic intrusion.

'Yes, you are interesting, more so now that I know that you are quick to think on your feet and more than willing to use your abilities despite your disgust for what you've become.' Alucard swept out of the room, certain that she would not be a problem for his master.

It was nearly dawn when Integra concluded her questions. She could detect no trickery in the new vampire before her, and Alucard had been sitting at the very edge of her mind, not enough to annoy her, but close enough to watch and agree that she was not trying to lull them into a false sense of security. The information was easy enough to verify, and a few raids would be all it would take to clean up the group that had done this to the young woman.

It had been sometime during the interrogation that Nicole had been completely released from her bonds and allowed a chair to sit in while the questions continued. Now that it was nearly dawn, each of the Hellsing house members could be seen looking tired, and a little frayed around the edges. "You will stay in this room for the day. We will deal with the other half of our bargain tonight once everyone has rested. Fair enough to you?"

Normally Integra would not have worried about the comforts of a chipped Freak, but during the time of the interrogation she had come to see that this young woman had a great deal of strength to come here as she had, against the chip's warnings to tell her this and despite her need for blood not attack her house staff. There was also some pity to be had for the way she had been turned. Against her will and not by choice, Integra knew of the fury that boiled below the cool exterior of her servant's skin.

This would definitely have to be looked into. The FREAKS were getting bold, and whoever was making the chips were getting edgy in their manufacture. For it was starting to look like some kind of networking was starting be established in the chipped vampires, something that could be quite dangerous if left unchecked.

Just before she was to crawl into her own bed for a well deserved rest before the daily activities of the house had her up and in charge again, she felt the unmistakable presence of Alucard with her in the room. "I suppose you want to talk about the FREAK." It was more a statement of fact than question as both knew that was the exact reason the vampire was in her room.

Alucard wasted no words, his anger and frustration at the current situation not allowing him to pick and choose his words with more care. "You cannot allow her to follow through with her wish for eternal silence."

Integra's eyebrow rose, this was a side of her servant that she very rarely saw. "And why shouldn't I silence her Alucard? She is a FREAK; therefore she is a danger to everyone in this house and to everyone in this city." Her voice was quiet, but intense as she listed off the reasons that the girl downstairs should be silenced. It was also to serve as a reminder to the older vampire of who was in charge.

"That is very much true Master; however her knowledge and abilities would be wasted if she were allowed to be silenced. She is a FREAK, with more true vampiric traits than I've seen yet in those pieces of filth. Already she has discovered her abilities in telepathy and has managed to figure out how to shield during the time you and Walter were interrogating her." Alucard's trademark smirk returned as he remembered the little mental tiff he had with the young woman.

Integra noted the smirk and knew without a doubt that this girl had intrigued the master vampire. "So just how do you propose we make her, safe. And get her to retract her request for her elimination."

The plan the elder vampire spelled out over the next several minutes was dangerous in the extreme, both to the girl and to the Hellsing Organization. If it worked however, Hellsing would gain an extremely talented ally that would be able to help Walter in maintaining the information and data sectors of the Organization. Something that was becoming increasingly important now that the data influx was increasing. If it failed, the fail safes that would be in place would ensure that the girl got what she had wanted. The end of her existence by the hands of the Hellsing Organization.

In the dungeon levels of the Hellsing house, Nicole Von Wildern was having trouble sleeping. Now that she had been given blood, her body was very nearly singing with energy. However the restraints on her had been removed and the only thing that barred her from freedom was a door that was locked, her word, and the vampire Alucard who was still awake and keeping a distant eye on her. 

It wasn't till nearly mid afternoon that she finally drifted off into an uneasy rest, the coffin bed that had come up out of the floor was quite comfortable she found and it was this comfort that allowed her body to rest while she was still awake, contemplating the possible reasons she had not been immediately executed on the spot as she had asked. However she could not ask about this until the evening came. Until then she would rest, and hope that the nightmares would stay at bay for a little while.

The distant eyes of Alucard did not have to be in the room to watch the young woman. Watching her through her own mind as he sat at the edges of her shields he watched as her mind hopped one thought to the next, never staying in one place, yet moving in an orderly procession. She was strange, even for a human. Granted, she knew of the darker side of the world and what was coming. But that still did not explain her thought processes as she dealt with the idea that she had become a vampire. As of that moment none of the members of Hellsing had corrected Nicole on her terminology. Mostly because the idea of artificial vampires was insulting to the real ones that were on the estate grounds and revolting to the human members of the organization.

But she would be told everything this evening. Tonight, he thought to himself. 'Tonight everything will change for her and the world as she knows it will never be the same again.' He had seen enough of her mind and spirit to know that she had her pride. She just did not flash it about as the other chipped creatures did. This girl had the hallmarks of a true vampire, and if everything went according to plan tonight, she would soon be one of the Hellsing Organization's greatest weapons. 

For her power was not like the police girl's, a power of the body in overwhelming strength. But her strength was that of the mind, within days of being turned into a FREAK she had discovered some of her own abilities and with no teacher trained herself in some of them. Nothing could be hidden from her seeking mind if she did not wish for it if she accepted their proposal. Her great strength was part of the equation, and Alucard held the other half of the key, hundreds of years of knowledge and practice as a master vampire. Yes, she would be a fine addition to the family, if she made the choice.

That evening as the sun set the plan was set into action. Walter had been briefed on what was going to transpire and had arranged for the necessary people to be on hand should things work out to a positive light. Alucard would be the only one needed if she remained with her decision to be eternally silenced.

As soon as the door opened, Nicole stood, her skirt straightened to the best of her abilities and her hair pulled loose from the barrette from the night before, allowing the sides to now hang free to frame her face. She had not rested much, but she would not have any problems with that. She could soon rest for an eternity.

Stepping into the room were not the four faces of last night's interrogation, but instead it was only Alucard. "I'm not much of a challenge for your abilities I'm afraid." She offered, knowing on some level that he relished the challenge of fighting the truly powerful creatures of the night.

Alucard's smirk went up a notch as he heard this, but kept his thoughts to himself on the matter before he sat down, indicating that she should also have a seat. Her look of total confusion amused him to no end, but that was only him and he did have a job to do. "My Master has ordered me to offer you information about our organization."

Nicole blinked, her eyebrow rising as she tried to work though the puzzle of why she wasn't being killed when she had plainly asked for it. "Why?"

"Because you have offered us information that will allow us to silence a group of FREAKS that have become far too bold. What they did to you being just the tip of the iceberg." Alucard settled into the conversation. He was tempted to play with this one, but knew that it would not help them in the long run if he were to antagonize her unnecessarily at this point in time.

Again with that word. Nicole still could not get a meaning for it from its context so she had to ask. "Sir Integra called me a FREAK. You mentioned these FREAKS, yet I don't understand what you mean. Aren't we vampires?

She thought she had made a grave error when she noted the change from the carefully neutral smirk to the frown of displeasure that suddenly appeared on the other vampire's face. The silence was deafening for only a short moment and when Alucard spoke, it was with carefully measured words so that she could not help but understand the insult that was just given.

"The Hellsing Organization has been fighting vampires and other inhuman creatures for many generations. Working in secret to protect this country, their queen and their church. Lately, in the last six years or so this organization and another have run across an artificially made vampire. One that is created by human made computer chips that are imbedded in to the human and act as a catalyst for the vampiric traits that you now display." During the explanation he allowed her to see some of the things he had battled in dealing with the FREAKS from his perspective since he could feel her reaching out to his mind with her telepathy for a better understanding of what she was hearing.

Once the explanation was given, Nicole retreated back to her own mind and closed herself up in deep thought as a shudder of revulsion swept through her. "So what you are saying is that I am not a true vampire, one that had been turned by a master and held till I had willingly drunk of his blood. But something inhuman, yet created by humans." The last was nearly whispered and as the import of what she was saying hit her, a flame lit in her eyes, much to the delight of the red garbed vampire before her.

"Yes. You were created, for what purpose we aren't certain of considering the night of the Bloody Tower took out the most recent true A list vampire that became a threat to the queen. But the fact that you are, networked, with the other FREAKS of your generation suggests that there is something building in the future and humans aren't done with their little imitation games." Inside he wanted to laugh with delight; this woman was indeed proving to be a rare find. Not only did she know enough about the vampires to be dangerous to them should they come across her, but it also had caused her to be insulted by the idea that she was an imitation of the real thing. An imperfect copy made by the humans that she had once been a part of. 

Disgust with what she had become warred with the insulted feelings she felt for being told that she was a copy, a fake. Nicole was an original all her own and to have been told this information had caused some rather unique reactions in her. Embarrassment for the insult she had given Alucard for implying that all vampires were the same, relief that she would be forgiven for her ignorance since she had just been corrected, disgust for the fact that she had been caught and changed into something inhuman at all, and indignant at the very thought that she hadn't been turned by a real vampire.

Looking over at Alucard she noted that he was watching her intently, carefully cataloguing her reactions and seeming to delight in her current irritation. "You have told me about the Hellsing organization, or at least the very basics of it. Information has been exchanged, is there anything else you have to say to me, or will you now follow through with your master's side of the agreement and kill me?" 

Nicole's wish for death became that much stronger when she realized that she was not a true vampire, this too was noted and it was silently agreed between master and servant that now would be the best time to make the offer that had been planned since that morning. "I think I will offer you a choice instead." The master vampire started out, catching the woman's attention in a solid lock on all levels with his opening.

"Your first choice is easy enough to explain. We kill you, you turn to dust and you never walk the earth again." Eyeing the woman he noted that she had closed herself off, despite her attention and was nodding to indicate that she understood the option when he continued. "Your second option is going to take time, especially for you and not a small amount of risk."

Nicole raised an eyebrow at the phrasing but gestured with her off hand, "And what would that choice be?"

"You will go into surgery to have the chips that have been given to you removed. Technically you will be dead, but before the surgery is complete, I will step in and complete your transformation. You will be a true vampire, a servant under me until such time as I feel that you are ready to face the night on your own." His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued. "You were once human, and as such you lived in a world of choices, I can't make this choice for you, and you will not have a lot of time to think on this. So what will it be?"

Nicole thought a moment but had one further question. "If I were to go with you, once you release me from my servitude, what would become of me?"

Alucard smiled, it wasn't the most pleasant thing, but he could not help it. He had her interested and that was going to be half the battle in getting her to make the choice that would be to the greater benefit of everyone. "You will be your own master of the night. Free to do as you will. However unless you ally yourself in service to the Hellsing family the chances of your surviving for long will not be good."

Nicole caught the flashes of several images of a tall man who seemed to wield blades like a whirlwind from the mind of the vampire before her as he spoke of her chances for survival. This was someone who gave even a vampire like Alucard trouble when they battled, and it was enough to shake her confidence in surviving beyond a few months with the knowledge of someone like that around.

Closing her eyes she walled herself off again and started thinking quickly. She knew that she didn't have a lot of time left, but she couldn't help but get the feeling that there was more to this that she was seeing. "And if I were to go with you, what would I be doing in this organization? You had mentioned that you went out and killed the FREAKS and other threats that came to these lands. Would I be doing that as well?"

"In the beginning you may go out some, if for no other reason than for you to get a better understanding of what we fight. But my master and I feel that you would be able to serve the Hellsing Organization in a different manner than myself or the Police Girl." At her raised eyebrow he continued. For some reason he could not help but be completely serious with this woman. Something about her quelled his trickster nature and while it bugged him to a minor degree, he agreed that this was far too important to mess up. One way or the other the woman would be removed as a threat to the Hellsing Organization and to the world at large. 

"You mentioned that you studied the myths and legends of the unnatural in your university as your course of study correct?" At her startled nod he continued. "We feel that with your knowledge and intelligence you would be able to serve far better in our information sector. Maintaining, organizing, and extracting information from various sources."

The light behind Nicole's eyes told Alucard that she was starting to see exactly where he was going with this line of work for her. He had noted her mental capabilities and in doing so they had found a place for her in the organization where her skills and talents would be put to use. "Certainly I would not be working under you since you go out and kill the things. So who would I report to other than Sir Hellsing?"

The smirk reappeared, Alucard could see that she was just moments from making her choice and he didn't even need to look into her mind to see that his offer had perked her interest. "You would be reporting to me, Miss Von Wildern." Nicole looked over to the open door to see both Integra and Walter in the doorway, looking in on the situation with great interest. Since Walter had broken the tableau between vampire and FREAK he felt it best to continue. "Alucard will teach you what you need to know about your vampiric heritage should you join us, and I will teach you everything I know about the information sector of the Hellsing Organization. It will be quite interesting for you, of that I can assure you." 

Integra stepped forward and took the floor, "Now that you know who we are, and have a better understanding of what you are, it is time to make your choice."

Nicole closed her eyes for a moment, and then opening them she looked straight at Alucard before uttering two words. "Kill me."

If it were possible for Alucard to die from shock, he would have. Never had he read someone so wrong. "Humor me, why do you choose death over unlife?"

"Because unlike you Alucard, I am not and will not allow myself to be bound to the Van Hellsing family for the entirety of its existence through the use of blood magics. That makes me unpredictable, a wild card in an organization that can not afford such a thing in a creature of the night serving it." She paused, gathering her thoughts again before turning to address Integra.

"You have seen past what I was and into what I could be, for that I thank you. But I can not operate as a pet, someone chained to position or orders." She saw Integra start to say something and she shook her head with a slight smile. "I would have my freedom, but I would still be chained. I have always been a free spirit. Now please, kill me now. Let me rest in the knowledge that I did not harm anyone in my time as a FREAK, and I will take your secrets with me."

Walter was surprised, and a little unhappy with the woman's choice. He had taken a liking to her mannerisms and had hoped that she would stay with them, he would not have been so pressed in his work had that been the case. But he could see her point. He could tell by the straight bearing Integra had, that this was no easier on the Hellsing commander either.

"As you wish then." Was all Alucard said, pulling out his Casul and his Jackal he aimed one for her head and one at the heart.

"May the grace of God and her majesty be with you as you pass on Nicole Von Wildern." As Integra spoke those final words, a smile of relief graced the face of the young FREAK until the double report of both the Jackal and the Casul being fired at the same time resounded in the room. Moments later the body completely turned to dust a sign that Alucard's shots had taken out whatever FREAK chips had been in the body.

The room was completely silent afterwards, a testament to the effect the young woman had on all of them in the short time she had been there. As Walter and Integra made to leave the room, Alucard pooled his abilities and gathered the dust of the FREAK. "You will want to have this scattered, I do not think the young lady would be pleased at being called back to this world."

"I'll have it taken care of." Was the only reply he received, the room darkened as they left, and the final chapter on the young woman's life having to be written by the people who took it in order to hide what she had become to her family. But for now, they all had a little more to think about for that night. 


End file.
